representative of one of the many species of conifers pine family, familiar to all spruce, owes its name to the ancient Romans.It sounds like that translation of the word "resin".In the realm of green spruce it is one of the first places, and belongs to the genus in which there are nearly 50 species distributed throughout the world, from Northern Europe and Central Asia to North America.What happens spruce, what kind of tree?How long it lives in the world and which takes the form?Let's try to find answers to these questions.
Description ate
High, uprightness, slender evergreen trees with a dense conical crown, narrower at a young age, they are covered with spruce branches to the ground.Their trunk is difficult to see - it is hidden by the widest spruce "paws."Young trees have smooth bark of gray with a brownish tint on the old spruce trunks it is more subtle, sometimes luschitsya.Needles needle, and can hold the branches up to 7-9 years, although these srokisokraschayutsya environmental degradation, and urban environment conservation needles duration not exceeding 3 years.Needles - single, quadrangular or flattened spirally arranged on the branches.Cones hanging, elongated, cylindrical.Ripens in the fall, they open at seed dispersal.Seed cone scales with a wide base covered with small seeds equipped with wings cupped around them.
Features Description
plant spruce clear: this is one of fairly undemanding plant in the world.It has low fertility soils, perfectly survives on very poor soils.She is not afraid of shady slopes and small plots of soil waterlogging.It is incredibly hardy and it does not scare sharply continental climate.But most of the species can not withstand gas pollution and smoke, nevertheless tree used in urban landscaping and is used in single and group plantings in the parks for snow protection alleys and lanes.Pygmy or dwarf ornamental shapes are perfect for decorating the landscape of small gardens, and rock slides.
spruce or ordinary
name of this tree speaks for itself, and accurately indicates the area of its habitat.European spruce grows in the European part of Russia.It is the basis for forming the taiga.In the north of Siberia and European Russia arrays common spruce is gradually replaced by Siberian spruce.What is this tree?A clear distinction between these types of there.In choosing the growth conditions spruce it differs significantly from larch and pine trees, but no sharp differences intraspecific.They are so Shade, which is quite difficult to grow in open treeless areas, because at the stage of having got in the growth of shoots damaged by spring frosts returnable, or get sunburn.Also very affected by grass fires provoked by seasonal arson.
period, especially tree growth
first 10 years of fir tree grows slowly.Then, the growth rate increased sharply, and after 100-120 years back suspended.Uneven, spasmodic growth of an European spruce.What is a recognized survivor - has long been known.If conditions permit, it is easily live up to 250-300 years.The best soil for it is loam and supeschaniki.For them, it forms a deep root system, it is held firmly on the surface.But spruce - a lover rather damp places.On excessively moist soil tree forms a small shallow root system and strong gusts of wind could not help but fall to the ground.Spruce makes even a small water-logging, if it has a flow character.It should be noted that the root system of spruce is considerably less than that of pine, which explains its instability in the winds.The peculiarity of the tree is that its lower branches die off and are not stored dry, so in spruce forests is quite dark and damp.
Terms growing spruce fir
Grow possible in most regions of the European part of Russia, in Siberia and in the Far East.But this is a very delicate wood.It is best to plant it under the canopy more stable flora - oak, birch or pine.This is important especially for the rather dry and poor soils on which the fir tree growing heavy, as preferred for her well-moistened soil.Spruce is much more demanding in terms of growth than pine which can grow well on dry sandy soils.That is why the spruce and pine rarely grow together - too different conditions they need.
Reproduction
Spruce is easy to grow from seeds collected it is very simple: just cut some fir cones in autumn and keep them at home until dry.They do not need to peel off.Vysohnuv, bumps will reveal themselves and give the seeds, which are usually a great germination.They should be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then place in a pot with calcined river sand, bury 1-1.5 cm. The containers mounted on the top shelf of the refrigerator in the stratification.This procedure is necessary, as in the natural world all the seeds conifers exposed to the cold.Stratification stimulates the germination of seedlings.Untreated seeds can lie cold in the ground for several years, but did not come up.Being cold containers should be 3 months.After this time, the container planted with seeds placed in a bright and warm place.
planting time
ideal planting time is the end of October - November.If the seeds are planted in this period, the capacity to get out of the refrigerator should be in February and March.This is the most favorable time for germination, as spring arrives, increasing daylight hours, and all the plants start to grow.
watering and care
period of germination of seedlings requires a particularly generous watering as should act in accordance with natural conditions.After the spring, during the snowmelt, soil especially hydrated.The heat and humidity - the basic conditions for the activation of conifer seedlings.After a couple of weeks should climb baby-fir.What is the real ephedra, can be seen immediately: the first to appear needles.Now we should be careful and keep a balance, t. E. Water the sprouts to the extent necessary, avoiding both underfilling, and excessive moisture.Every two weeks the young fir trees need to feed and loose topsoil.
When outdoors warmer and depart returnable frozen, small seedlings can be planted in the ground.The hole before planting add compost or humus, mixed with the ground, and a little complex fertilizers.Most Christmas trees are not fed.Placing plants in a hole, the roots carefully poured the soil, tamped, well-watered and create small
of greenhouse covering material, film or glass jar.It is necessary for more rapid acclimation of seedlings.
seedlings in greenhouses to be ventilated every day.They need to be open, to remove condensate and check the soil moisture.After 7-10 days, the shelter can be removed, and the soil around the firs zamulchirovat to preserve soil moisture.Normally, nurseries spruce seedlings grown in containers 3-4 years.As the tree grows very slowly, then such period is considered optimal for the successful further development of ephedra called spruce.Seedlings of this age are more adapted to the temperature variations, it is not afraid of frost and sun burns.Planted them as one good watering and fertilizing.
Species spruce and their application
Like many conifers, spruce quite decorative.It has always been an ornament Russian estates, gardens and parks.Today, thanks to a large holding of breeding, displayed many kinds of the oil used in the garden landscaping.Herringbone, personally grown from seed, not only to decorate the plot, but it may be the ancestor of the family tradition.This method of growing spruce from seed suitable for all kinds of tall.In addition, a growing guarantee excellent seedling adaptation to climatic conditions.Of the existing types of special attention to landscape designers attracted dwarf spruce.Low-growing varieties are not usually exceed meters in height, have a broad dense crown.They are perfect for decoration of garden compositions, rock and alpine gardens.One of the most spectacular and popular representatives of these species - spruce Nidiformis.
dwarf forms: description
Nidiformis - Class with the round shape of the crown and a central recess.Tree height barely reaches 1 m and the crown reaches a diameter of 3 m. Oblate krone formed as a nest, as the main branches of the tree are not available, and the numerous sprouts grow like a fan.Gorgeous short dark green needles, very dense and uniformly covering the branches.Tree grows very slowly, adding one year no more than 3-4 cm in height and 5.7 cm in width.Herringbone undemanding to the soil, grows well in moderately fertile supeschanikah any level of acidity, but it can be lost if the vicinity of the root system constantly groundwater.This spruce, like all low-growing conifers, photos of which are presented very decorative.A slow growth it can save once created the landscape for years to come.Nidiformisy hardy, but the young plants a better shelter under the threat of the return spring frosts.
Evergreen dwarf conifers: reproduction
Bantam forms are not pure species and reproduce only vegetatively - by cuttings and layering, but not seeds.The fact that these plants are the result of mutations in various species, softwood, and of their seeds are generally conventional grow tall and dwarf not conifers.Photos ornamental dwarf species can be found in the literature.If you grow your own ephedra this does not work, there is one way - to the store.Dwarf trees are usually sold in containers.The basic rule when buying this rather expensive purchase is a firm belief that the root system of seedlings strong, well developed, not broken either mechanically or by pests.But before going to the store to be acquainted with information about the shape of the crown, features, size, and plant care.
Many conifer species for many years maintained a good shape regardless of the grade.Low-growing species can first have a spherical crown, and over time to form a cone.However, spruce and pine - trees are so common that it is impossible to imagine Russia without these majestic conifers.
